A Louis XVI ormolu-mounted Sèvres porcelain vase, the mounts attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire circa 1788

The spar marble base with minor chips along edges. Small chip tto foot of vase, now hidden by latter ring and is now invisible. Drilled for electricity. traces of oxidation and surface dirt, in good overall condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The design of this vase is closely related to the pair purchased by Louis XVI for 9,000 livres from the Manufacture de Sèvres on 21 December 1787, the mounts signed by Thomire and dated 1787. This pair, in the Cabinet du Conseil at Versailles, is illustrated H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, Vol. I, p. 301, fig. 4.19.4. It also relates to a vase almost identical to the Versailles pair in the Louvre, also signed by Thomire (D. Alcoufe et al., Gilt Bronzes in the Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 230-231).

Ultimately the prototype of all these vases is the Grand Vase, now in the Louvre, designed by Simon-Louis Boizot, the ormolu executed by Thomire, and delivered by Sèvres in 1783 to the order of the comte d'Angiviller, director général des Batiments du Roi (D. Alcoufe et al. pp. 218-223). Sèvres produced two reduced scale replicas (60 cm high) in 1785 for Louis XVI (now at Versailles).